Safety gas trap



Dec. 7 1926. 1,609,525

- E. MOLDENHAUER i SAFETY GAS TRAP Filed Feb. 26, 11324 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nvefzlar Dec. 7 1926.

E. MOLDENHAUER SAFETY GAS TRAP Filed Feb. 26 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet P,

In ven lor a/ezaaer Patented Dec. 7, 1926. A

UNITED STATES g ,Y 1,609,525 PATENT," oFFlcE.

ERICH MOLDENI'IA'U'ER, OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY.

SAFETY Gas TRAP.

Application filed February 26, 1924, Serial No. 695,267, and in Germany April 14, 1920.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic apparatusv for contro-lling the flow of gas, and more particularly in apparatus for controlling'the supply of gas from metallurgical furnaces such as blast furnaces to gas consumers. The object of the improvements is to provide a highly sensitive safety device in connection withthe pressure main for automatically closing the main upon the pressure therein dropping below the normal degree, and for opening lit again either by hand or automatically upon the normal gas pressure having been reestablished. l/Vith this object in view my invention consists in constructing the apparatus in the form of a. water trap included in the gas pipe and providing automatic means for supplying water to the trap in case of a reduction of the pressure and for withdrawing the water, if the normal pressure has been reestablished, the supply of water to the trap being controlled by the pressure of the gas.

For the purpose of explaining the invention several examples embodying the same have been shown in the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation showing the apparatus,

Fig. 1a, is a detail view showing a modification,

Fig. 2, is a diagrammatical view showing a modification, and

Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation showing another modification.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of another modification, and Fig. 5 shows Va diagrammatic layout of the electrical operation circuit of ka modiication. y Y

In the example shown in Fig. 1 my -improved apparatus comprises a water trap provided by a casing 2 having a vertical partition wall 40 extending from the cover 41 downwardly to a part away from the bottom of the casing, said trap being included in thegas pipe 1. At a part below the said pipe an overflow 'including. a trap,

a water supply 4 including a'valve, and a` bottom discharge V6 including Va valve 7 are connected with the casing. The gas pipe 1 is connected by a pipe 8 with the top part of a closed receptacle 9 contain.

ing water. and including a float 11 having an opening 10 at its bottom and below the surface of the-water. ,The top of the lioat s engaged by Van arm 12 secured to a shaft vexpelled from the ioat which therefore rises and turns the arm 12. The upward movement of the arm is transmitted throughV the rod 15 tothe cocks 5 and 7, so that the outlet valve 7 is closed and the inlet valve 5 opened. Therefore water is admitted to trap 2, and the liowof gas through the pipe 1 is shut 0E. If the pressure of the gas rises, the air within the float 11 is compressed and water flows into the same through-the opening 10, so that the oat sinks. ln the construction shown in Figure 1 the arm 12 is in loose engagement with the float 11. Therefore, the valves 5 Vand 7 are not automatically operated when the gas pressure is reestablished and the ioat Y11v sinks, the flow of gas through pipe 1 being established by hand by forcing the rod 15 downwardly in order to close the inlet valve 5 and to open the outlet valve 7 and to permit the discharge of the water from the trapA 2. This construction is desirable, if no means 'are-provided at the burner or other-gas consumer for automatically igniting the gas and non-ignited gas would cause the production of an explosive mixture. Where automatic igniting means are provided I prefer a positive connection between the float 11 and the arm 12, so that the pipe 1 is automatically opened. Fig. 1a shows an example in which the arm 12 is connected with the float 11 by a link 45.

To prevent the operation of the cocks 5 and 7 by small or shortv variations of theV piston 400 and a brakecylinder 410 arrangement, and in which the separate cock 5 and the discharge siphon with its cock 7 of Fig. l are replaced by a tuo-Way cock and siphon arrangement l2? d3.

In Fig. 2 l have shown a modification in which the apparatus controlled by the pres sure ol the gas is connected with electrical means i'or admitting` or discharging the liquid to the trap Thereby l am enabled to use a single controlling apparatus such as the float chamber in connection with a plurality oi' traps included each in a branch pipe of a main gas pipe. ln Fig. 2 the construction ot the float chamber and the trap is the same as that of the correspoiulinp; parts described with reference to Fig. l and the saine reference characters have b xen used to indicate corresponding parts. is distinguished from Fig'. l, the rod l5 controlled by the float l1 carries colla-rs 2f.) adapted to operate electric switches 2l ior closing circuits includingelectromagnets the cores 23 of which are connecte(L with the cocks 5 and 7. lt' the construction is such that all the switches 2l are simultaneously operated by the collars 2O all the jas eonsumers are simultaneously disconnected from the gas supply. .iis shown in nig. 2 the collars 2O are disposed different distances away from the switch arms, so that the consumers are successively disconnected from the gas supply, the consumers ci" minor importance being iirst disconnected and thereafter the more important ones. In the construction shown in the ligure the Water is not discharged Jtrom the traps 2 by automatic means` but by hand. But in some cases l provide a construction in which the traps are automatically opened by interrupting the circuits including the electromagnets 92, or by means of separate circuits controlled by hand or by automatic means.

In the modifications shovrn in Fig'. the gas pipe l includes a Water trap communicating at its bottom through a pipe 3l with a receptacle located at a higher level than the bot-tom of the receptacle 30 and the bottom part ot the partition By the pressure ot' the gas within the trap 30 the Water is ex; polled therefrom and into the receptacle so far that the column of flater within the receptacle balances the pressure of the In case oi a reduction of the L rcssure ot gas the water flows back into the trap $50 so as to close the gas supply l, the level of the water Within the receptacle 32 being? but slightly higher than that ot the water Within the trap.

To compensate any loss of Water by vaporizat-ion the receptacle has a Water supply controlled by a float valve $38, which valve is opened if the Water falls within the re ceptacle belov.Y a certain level after having partly filled the trap 30, so that the Water is raised Within the receptacle 3Q and the trap to the normal level,

Also in this case l prefer to provide means ifor preventing automatic opening of the gas supply, it no automatic igniting means are provided at the gas consumers. As shown such means consist of a check valve 35 preventing the lloW of water from the trap 30 to the receptacle and permitting' the llovv of the Water from the receptacle 32 ,to the' trap 3() While putt-ing ay spring' 36 under tension For opening the trap 3() the valve is unseated by hand by means of the valve stem il?.

By the pressure ot the spring` 3G the lion' ot the Water from the receptacle 3Q to the trap 30 is retarded, so that the pipe is not closet' by small or short variations of the pressure. lreierably means are provided for regulating the compression ot the spring 3G, so that the sensitiveness of the apparatus can be adapted to various conditions.

ln Fie. 5 tivo electromagnets elsiand 45 are shown, the respective armatures 46 and or which are interconnected by a rod 48 to which are linked the counter Weighted levers el) and 50 operating the cocks 5 and 7 respectively which control the influx and eflux ot' the vfatc to and 'rom the trap 2 as above described. '.'he float-controlled lever l5 is linked to a switch lever 149, through vil "ch electric circuits 249 and 250 respectively are closable alternately through the tivo clcctromagnets 4G and i7 for respectively openingl and closing; the two trap cocks.

.l claim:

1. ln a safety njas tra-p of the character forth, in combination with a pressure main7 a trap interposed in said main, 'er inlet and outlet means for the trap, a aas pressure responsive device communieating with said pressure main, and means perable by said pressure responsive device and governingsaid Water inlet and' outlet moans for controlling the Water level in said trap.

Q. in a safety gas trap of the character set forth, in combination with a pressure gas main. a trap interposed in said main, a Water inlet cock and a Water outlet cock communicating with said trap, a gas pressure. responsive device in communication wwith said gas main and controlled by variations o'ii the pressure therein, and means operable by said pressure responsive device, and operating' said inlet and outlet cocks.`

lin safety gas trap of the character set forth. in combination with a pressure igas main, a trap interposed in said main, Water inlet and outlet means for said trap,

O'as pressure responsive device communilwith said pressure main7 comprising a liquid containing` chamber, a float in said liquid, and a lever connection operating said water inlet and outlet means and in turn operable by said float.

l. In a safety gas trap of the character set forth, in combination with a pressure gas main, a trap interposed in said main, Water inlet and outlet means for said trap, a gas pressure responsive device comm-,unicating with said pressure main, comprising a liquid containing chamber, a pressure controlled float in said chamber, and a lever connection operating said Water inlet and outlet means and in turn operable by said float. Y

5. In a safety gas trap of the character set forth, in combination With a pressure gas main, a trap interposed in said main, Waterinlet'and outlet control means for said trap, a gas pressure responsive device communicating with said pressure main, comprising a chamber containing a liquid, a pressure controlled float in said chamber, means associated with said loat for controlling its responsiveness, and lever means interposed between said vfloat and said Water control means for operating the latter.

6. In a safety gas trap of the character set forth, in combination With a pressure gas main, a trap interposed in said gas main, a VWater inlet and outlet control for said trap, a gas pressure responsive device communicating With said gas main, including a pressure controlled float and means for regulating the responsiveness of said float, and means interposed between said float and Said Water control for operating the latter.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ERICH MOLDENHAUER. 

